A modern mobile cellular terminal comprises many advanced software applications and distinct accessories. Some examples of these accessories are for example a digital camera, camcorder and MP3 player. The applications and accessories, which are often called plug-ins, included in the mobile terminal can have a user definable shortcut as a default setting.
All these plug-ins must be operable in the one and same cellular terminal. In the prior art a certain kind of default soft key arrangement is utilized with all these plug-ins. The user can open with one soft key a menu including selectable items. The user moves inside the menu by a browser key. The user selects one item from the menu by another soft key often named “Select”. After the made selection a new menu opens including new selectable items. Then the user once again selects one item from the menu by pressing “Select” soft key.
However, the functionality can differ a lot from one plug-in to another plug-in. This also affects to the usability of a certain plug-in when only a prior art soft default menu arrangement is at hand, which must be suitable for several plug-ins.
FIG. 1a shows one exemplary terminal device 10 according to the prior art. It is shown in so called Normal Idle mode. The terminal device 10 in FIG. 1a comprises a display unit 11, a numerical/alphabetical keyboard 12, a four-way key 121 (or advantageously a five-way key) and two programmable keys 131 and 132, i.e. soft keys. The soft keys 131 and 132 have been arranged to perform an operation, which is shown on the display 11 beside the soft key. In the example of FIG. 1a the soft key 132 executes a selection function, reference 112, and the soft key 131 cancels a previous action, reference 111. As an example on the display 11 is also shown an envelope 120 indicating that a message has been arrived and it is unread.
FIG. 1b shows the terminal device 10 of FIG. 1a when making browsing according to the prior art. In this example on the right side of the display 11 can be seen a primary list 113 of selectable items. One item, Calendar, is now selected and this is highlighted by an oblong 114. A user can move inside the primary list 113 from one item to another item by utilizing the four-way key 121. The user selects one item by pressing “Select” soft key 132.
In the example of the FIG. 1a the keys 12, 121, 131 and 132 have been implemented as separate physical keys by way of example. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that they can also be implemented with the principle of a touchscreen display, in which case the limit between the actual display part 11 and the part that contains keys 12, 121, 131 and 132 is a question of definition.
The terminal 10 can also be in so called Active Idle mode. This means that applications, which are implemented in the terminal 10, can give a distinct visual signal when the application needs the attention of the user. If the user does not react any way the signal slowly disappears or limits its size after a while. For example the envelope can fill the whole display 11 first for some seconds. If the user does not react in any way, it shrinks after a while to a small envelope 120.